Dirk Nowitzki: With a Ring, How Does He Compare to Tim Duncan?

A championship ring is just about the only remaining unaccomplished achievement in Dirk Nowitzki’s career. 

In NBA history, it is obvious how much weight championships bear on player’s legacies.  The Hall of Fame is full of players that have won multiple championships, while other players who have not have often struggled to be inducted.

Nowitzki’s game has been among the most, if not the most, consistent in the last decade.

Every year, Dirk Nowitzki shows how sensational he is on the court, constantly putting up numbers that keep bring him to All-Star games and All-NBA teams.

Dirk Nowitzki has appeared in the NBA All-Star game 10 straight years since 2002 and has made 11 straight All-NBA teams, including four All-NBA First Teams.

In 2007, he earned his first NBA MVP award.

Nowitzki has not only gotten it done in games, but he has also taken home the Three-Point Shooting Championship trophy.

His success has extended internationally where he has earned MVP trophies in Europe and has been recognized worldwide with other awards.

A championship ring will only seal a truly remarkable career for the big German.

Such a resume would suggest Nowitzki would be, or is, one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. 

That would be correct.

In fact, he is among the top of that list.  In league history, there have been many outstanding big men at the power forward position.  In the early years, players like Bob Pettit, Elvin Hayes and Kevin McHale showed the league what a dominant big man can do for a team. 

As the competition increased, others like Charles Barkley and Karl Malone shined as bright as any player has individually.

Most recently, the NBA has had the pleasure of watching the talents of Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan dominate the league.

Hoes does Nowitzki compare against these outstanding players?

Nowitzki’s career has been just as fruitful as any of the players mentioned above.  Given the level of competition and the amount of talented big men in the game today, Nowitzki gets the nod over the early power forward elite group of Pettit, McHale and Hayes.

Pau Gasol is a player that has always been compared to Nowitzki, mainly because of both players being European big men capable from scoring from anywhere in the court.  Five years ago, anybody would say Gasol was the better player.  Today, there is no question Nowitzki is a step ahead regardless of Gasol’s championship rings with the Lakers.

Another player constantly being compared to Nowitzki is Kevin Garnett.  Garnett’s game has been an inspiration to many young players in the NBA and his heart and dedication has been contagious to every teammate he has played with.

Fortunately, leaving Minnesota to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston, Garnett finally got his truly deserved championship.  Even this achievement is not enough to put him ahead of Dirk Nowitzki, especially if Dirk matches him with one championship ring.

This leaves three big names Nowitzki is chasing.  These are Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Tim Duncan.

Although Barkley played in his prime almost a decade before Nowitzki played in his, both men changed the power forward position in their own way.  Barkley showed how desire and heart can win over height.  At 6’6”, Charles will forever be the best undersized power forward of all-time. 

Barkley’s achievements are almost identical to those of Nowitzki.  He made 11 straight All-Star teams and All-NBA teams.  He won an MVP award in 1993 and went on to the NBA Finals a single time, but did not win the championship.  This single detail would put him behind Nowitzki on this list if Dirk is able to win a ring.

Malone presents a similar argument.  Malone is another great player that went on to retire ring-less.  Malone intimidated the league for years with an unstoppable pick-and-roll game with John Stockton.  Many lists have Malone as the greatest power forward ever, but the fact that he was never able to win it all keeps him off of many other lists' top spots.

With a championship ring, Nowitzki would do what Malone was not able to do.  Also, a ring would also mean Dirk got it done without another superstar in his prime next to him. 

These two arguments indicate Nowitzki would leapfrog Malone in the greatest power forwards list if he is able to become a champion before he retires.

Only one name remains, and that is Tim Duncan.  Duncan has four NBA championships, something Nowitzki will most likely never match.  Duncan was has also been the alpha dog during most of the years he has spent in San Antonio, if not all. 

Duncan is the best power forward to ever play the game, and a championship by Nowitzki will not change that.  Not even two or three championships.

In summary, a championship on Nowitzki’s resume would mean a lot to his career and his legacy as an NBA player.  Already a greater player than Hall of Famers like Kevin McHale, Bob Pettit and Elvin Hayes, a championship would propel Nowitzki over other champions like Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol and other all-time greats like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley.

A championship would place Nowitzki second only to Tim Duncan in the “greatest power forward to ever play the game” discussion.